Helping novice programming students succeed

  • Authors:
  • Toni R. Black

  • Affiliations:
  • University of New Mexico, Valencia Campus

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

A beginning programming student has much to learn in the first programming class: new editing software, correct syntax, application of the syntax, logical sequence of steps, making sense of compiler error messages, appropriate formatting, modularized functionality and complex concepts such as arrays and pointers. The professor needs to get a lot of information across to the students, but how can the bridge be built from the plethora of information to successful application of the concepts into code by the individual student? The cognitive apprenticeship learning model can be very beneficial to the novice programming student. This teaching method helps the student in better understanding the programming concepts and as a result he can become more self-reliant as the semester progresses.